


The Commander Is Here To Stay

by SapphicaWrites



Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Alien Food, Alien/Human Relationships, F/F, Fluff, Love, Post-Canon, Quarians, Reunions, Tali is a farmer now
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-18
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:40:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,219
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23708536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SapphicaWrites/pseuds/SapphicaWrites
Summary: With the war with the Reapers over, Shepard returns to the planet Rannoch, where the woman she loves is waiting for her. (Sheptali, Canon, Fluff)
Relationships: Female Shepard/Tali'Zorah nar Rayya
Kudos: 25





	The Commander Is Here To Stay

Commander Shepard sat in the Kodiak shuttle, riding down from the Normandy towards the surface of Rannoch. It felt a little weird, coming back to a planet where the Quarians and the Geth had actually made peace, but it was a good sign of things to come.

It had been over a year since the defeat of the Reapers and while many of Shepard's crew had drifted apart again, the Commander still kept in touch with a few of her old acquaintances. One of the most notable being a certain Quarian Mechanist she had gotten close to.

Tali had changed a lot in the years since she had first met Shepard. From being a scared, young Quarian girl, being chased by Shadow Broker agents, to an Admiral and a leader among her people. Of course, with that development as a character, she and Shepard had grown close as a couple.

Ever since getting together before the mission to the Collector base, there hadn't been a time when Shepard and Tali hadn't thought of one another. Tali was the right mix of cute and badass that Shepard liked in a woman and to Tali, Shepard was her knight in N7 armour.

Now that the war was over, Shepard had finally managed to get some time to herself to visit Tali. She had retired from Alliance service for some time, but remained on Earth and the Citadel to ensure the Galaxy would return to a safe state.

As the shuttle landed on the slightly grassy plain in one of Rannoch's many arid deserts, Shepard stepped out, admiring the view on the horizon. Some small Quarian cities had started to be built, thanks to the help of the Geth. Not far from her, she could see a small farming village of prefab buildings, with Quarian and Geth working together, not as master and servant, but as equals.

It brought a smile to her face, reminding her of the sacrifice of her old Geth comrade Leigon, who sacrificed himself to give the Geth true sentience and free will. No longer being hive-minded drones, they were free-thinking individuals.

But while Shepard could spend all day thinking of the past, she had another thing on her agenda. Making her way down a small path, she managed to see a small farmhouse and standing in the front yard, checking on her garden... was Tali.

The Quarian was still wearing her enviro-suit, since it would likely be a number of centuries before her people could remove their suits entirely. However, Tali could take off her mask for a few hours at a time, to breathe the natural air of her homeworld.

Tali's suit was beautiful to look at, but Shepard knew that Tali was so much more beautiful out of her suit. Smiling, The commander walked to the gate of the house, leaning against the fence. "Hey there, Miss Vas Normandy. Been a while."

Stopping for a moment, Tali walked to Shepard, her eyes widening beneath her visor. "S-Shepard?" She squealed happily. "Shepard!" She cheered, before running towards her lover and hugging her tightly, sighing as she nestled herself in her arms.

Shepard hugged her back, smiling. "I know... I missed you too." She kissed the material of her hood as they embraced.

Tali shed a few tears under her mask, smiling proudly. "Keelah... you finally came to see me. I thought... well, I just assumed you'd be so busy back on Earth."

"Yeah, I was busy," Shepard stated. "But I'm retired now. I've had enough of being a soldier to last me a lifetime." She smiled. "So... I decided to come and stay with you, here."

"Y-You want to stay here with me?" Tali stuttered, blushing through the purple visor. The words of her girlfriend made her heart swell with happiness. She'd spent her whole life dreaming of life here on the homeworld and now she was finally able to spend it with the woman she loved. "Of course you can, Shepard! My home is your home anytime." She stepped back, crossing her legs. "Would you like to come inside?" She asked in a rather cute innocent voice.

"I'd love to," Shepard replied, before walking with Tali towards her rather beautiful and quaint little house.

Sometime later, Shepard was sat in Tali's front room, eating a Quarian snack called "Dextro chips." They tasted similar to the Potato Chips she'd eaten on Earth, only a bit saltier. As she relaxed in Tali's living room, facing the wide window overlooking Tali's entire estate, she smiled.

Tali returned a few moments later, sitting down on the couch beside her. "Sorry I didn't have much in variety of human food, Shepard," she apologised. "Maybe we could import some from the Citadel at some point. There's a spaceport opening up in the next town over."

"It's alright, Tali, there's no pressure," Shepard told her. She chuckled a little. "You know, Tali, if you had told me four years ago that one day we'd be sitting in your front room on your homeworld, I'd have probably called you crazy."

"I would have belived you," Tali admitted. "But after all we accomplished... I'm glad I got to see my home in my lifetime. The Geth have been helping us so much, Shepard. With any luck, Rannoch will be fully restored within about twenty years."

"That's not a long time," Shepard remarked. "I'm glad we were able to broker that peace between your people and the Geth."

"Too bad we lost Leigon," Her Quarian lover replied. "But... He was a good friend. I sometimes drink to him every now and then."

"Using the emergency induction port?" Shepard assumed, smirking a little.

Tali playfully nudged Shepard's arm. "Shut it, Shepard. For the record, I take my mask off to drink now. My house is filled with air filters. I can actually take off my suit fully from time to time." She sighed. "It's honestly incredible... but more incredible now that you're here."

"Your people are always incredible, Tali," Shepard replied. "I never thought you'd turn out to be a farmer though. I thought computers and hacking were your thing."

"They still are," Tali replied. "I have a little workshop where I tinker with some odds and ends to distract myself, but gardening has actually been quite satisfying. It's a lot like working with tech honestly, if you think about it. And it keeps me busy."

Reaching over, Shepard stroked the side of Tali's helmet, smiling softly. She was hopeless in love with the Quarian and now they had a future together, she was very eager to give her some affection and care. She wanted to kiss her lips.

"May I?" Shepard requested, smiling softly.

Tali nodded. "Go right ahead, Shepard."

With a soft click, Shepard removed Tali's mask, revealing her true face to her once again. She smiled, staring into the Quarian's beautiful eyes before cupping her cheek and pulling her close, kissing her lips sweetly and tenderly, Tali kissing her back.

Tali and Shepard continued to kiss, wrapping their arms around one another. The sight of Rannoch and the happy couple would have brought a tear to anyone's eye. Finally, after all the fighting and battles, Tali and Shepard were, at last, getting their happy ever after.

xXx

**Author's note:** Now for some Sheptali!


End file.
